The Redwood
By: Joanna Thomas
Disclaimer: I made this of my own creation and imagination this is mine don't try and steal it alright? evil
Autumn leaves fell from the redwood trees. The scent of fall filled the air and the sounds of the wind ran through the tall redwoods. A flash, and a click resounded in the small clearing, a photograph was taken. To capture the falling of leaves in California Redwood Coast Park, Haloa raised her camera again snapping a shot of the giant trees. Being a Californian born woman she held a great respect for the great trees. She gave them a smiled and snapped one last picture for the day before leaving the park. Haloa was a woman who because of her Hawaiian roots respected all nature. She was always so full of life. Energetic to a fault she would immerse herself in so many activities sometimes she couldn’t keep them straight. Recently the activity that all but took over life was photography. She’d never been one for the “normal” way of life she moved from job to a job, a true free spirit. As she left the Redwood Park Haloa couldn’t help but feel sad at leaving the great trees. She had always loved them ever since she was small.
Haloa moved out from her car and into her apartment it wasn’t perfect or nice in any sense of the word but it sufficed for her needs. “Geuld I’m home” she called out to the old greyhound that lived with her. Haloa smiled when the dog lifted itself from its bed and came to receive a friendly pat on the head in welcome. “I got some great pictures boy the trees were behaving so well today.” She set down her bag before entering the dark room “guess I should thank Lono eh?” she laughed referring to the goddess of peace wind and rain.
As Haloa began developing her film she received a call. Answering her phone with a soft “Hello.” She wanted a moment listening to her friend tell her of a great new club that just opened up. Haloa agreed to meet her there after her photographs were done. After she hung up the phone she hung up the pictures to dry. Haloa was admiring the pictures when she came to the last three; a figure was in these pictures. She took them down to look at them a little more clearly. There
was no mistaking the figure was in the picture. But she hadn’t remembered a figure, maybe a shadow? She thought but as she stared at the pictures she saw that the figure was coming out of the tree.
She left the dark room placing the photographs under a magnifying glass she looked down critically. Just as she was about to see the figure or not the phone rang once more, this time her fiancée called to tell her he was coming by to pick her up for the club. Haloa decided to push the pictures aside and left the apartment.
At the club Haloa didn’t think about the pictures again. Not for many weeks did she think of the strange photographs. A month later she was moving again for a different job this time. One as a secretary, while it wasn’t her favorite job it paid a lot more than her last and with her still in debt from college she needed all the money she could get. While she was un-packing in her new apartment she came across the photographs once more. As she stared at them time flew and soon without her knowledge everything was where it should be in the apartment. Haloa
stared rather confused but she left it up to her being tired from moving.
The next day she took the pictures to work and began to analyze them. She asked some people via the internet but no one not even paranormal investigaters had any idea what it was.
After a month she stopped asking and instead everyday she would take those pictures with her everywhere. She couldn’t leave them alone anywhere anymore.
At work she stared at them rather than eat her lunch, from there it was straight to home to take care of Geuld and stare at the pictures. She still went out with her fiancee and friends but the once lively and energetic Haloa was now constantly tired and slow.
It was Summer when something finally happened. As Haloa was staring at the pictures during her time at home and suddenly the figure moved! It danced out of the tree in one picture and spun showing it had long chestnut hair. “So you’re a woman.” She whispered to the photograph, the figure nodded and Haloa smiled “what are you?” the figure wrote on the bark of the redwood with her fingertip the
word ‘Redwood’. Haloa smiled and soon she began to have conversations with the picture.
The next day Haloa told her fiancée and her friends of the picture but no one believed her. Over the following weeks, slowly her friends stopped talking to her. Her fiancée tried to take her to a mental institution and in that argument the engagement was broken.
The next month Haloa only worked and went home she never left the house and only talked to her dog and the figure, the ‘Redwood.’ Haloa ate less and soon only talked to the figure, it became the only time she conversed and the only time she smiled. Because her people skills diminished she was fired. Haloa fell into depression only the figure kept her from ending her life.
One autumn night the figure told her to go back to the California Redwood Coast Park and take another picture. Haloa agreed and left with Geuld as well. They came to the park and Haloa came to the same redwood where she took the picture. Under the harvest moon she took many snaps of the tree again as it was bathed in light. The camera flashed and clicked with each picture while Geuld sat obediently by her side. After an hour Geuld barked, which was odd considering
he rarely ever barked.
Haloa put down her camera thinking that he wanted attention but when she reached a hand to the dog he growled. It was then that for the first time since her fiancée left her she saw her reflection in the lake. Her once dark onyx black hair was now auburn and her once black opaque eyes were now jade green and her once pale skin now turned like that of a redwood’s bark.
She looked shocked and jumped when she heard a humming voice and Haloa
turned to the voice. Her mouth ran dry as she saw the figure dance before her. The redwood figure came toward her and Haloa realized that they both now looked alike. “Haloa…do you remember me?” asked the figure with a laugh. Haloa nodded “Good little Haloa, I have accompanied you for a full year now. So now you must assist me.” Once more Haloa dumbly nodded, deaf to Geuld’s growling and barking.
The figure silenced the dog with a glare and the old greyhound fell limp and glazed eyed to the floor. Haloa did not notice her companion fall and end his long life she only saw the figure.
“Take my place.” Haloa nodded once more and soon she began to see dark onyx hair, black eyes and pale skin on the figure. She soon realized that she began to see herself.
Haloa smiled at seeing, what she thought was her reflection and then
tried to move. But her legs could not for as she looked down she saw instead of legs a trunk of a redwood. Haloa let lose no scream but tried to get away. Her body stopped moving and became part of the truck her hands were forced up turning into branches and her hair turned to green leaves, Haloa watched the figure laugh, to her it was no longer beautiful but evil Haloa glared at the figure before her face turned into a new branch.
Once the transformation was complete the figure watched the day break. She smirked and picked up the camera smiling at the new tree and she looked back at her own chuckling as it was no more.
She turned back to Haloa’s tree and smiled mockingly “Well now Haloa at least you’ll have a long life.” The figure left the park.
It returned to Haloa’s life and moved away from California and from the redwoods
before starting a new life. No one thought different of it in fact her family was relieved. After all Haloa had always been a true free spirit.
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